Holliston Girls Soccer Wins First Ever State Title

14-0-3 to finish the regular season – Amazing!
Winning the Division 2 South Sectionals for the first time since 1995 –Phenomenal!
Capturing its first ever State Title – Historical!
The Holliston girls’ soccer team went into the Eastern Mass Division 2 State Championship game against Winchester, the reigning champion, at Worcester State University’s Coughlin Field, and when all was said and done walked away with an impressive 3-2 victory to give the Panthers their first State Title in girls’ soccer in school history.
“It was a once in a lifetime experience, and the girls handled everything, as well as all the pressure of going undefeated,” Holliston Coach Brielle Chadsey said. “Winning the first state championship in school history, we accomplished something that has never been done before, and this team is deserving of it.”
Playing as a team throughout the entire season, the Panthers entered the tournament with an undefeated 14-0-3 record before dispatching of Apponequet, Silver Lake, Canton and Medway to secure its first Sectional Championship since 1995.
“Winning the State Championship is quite an accomplishment; to go 22 games and never come out on the losing end is impressive,” Holliston Athletic Director Matt Baker said. “Coach Chadsey did a great job keeping the team even keeled all season long, even as the expectations continued to increase. The Coach and the girls worked extremely hard, and they embodied everything Holliston athletics is about: class, competitiveness, sportsmanship and teamwork.”
Although the Panthers had many athletes contribute throughout the season and into the playoffs junior Megan Putvinski was a very big part of Holliston winning the Division 2 South Sectionals. The junior, who was not with the team last fall, had a foot in all three of Holliston’s goals against Medway in the Sectional Finals and things didn’t stray too far once the State Championship began. Putvinski maneuvered around the Winchester defenders and deposited the first goal of the contest behind the Sachem keeper.
Much like the Sectionals, the Panthers would go into the half without allowing a goal as Mary Kate Ward kept Winchester at bay. Mia Luisi would score off an Eva Bergloff pass to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead at half. Bergloff has upped her game in the tournament as well, notching a goal in the Sectionals to go with her assist in the States.
Winchester had an early opportunity in the opening minutes of the second half to cut the lead into the Panther lead, but Ward came up big once again. With half the net wide open the Sachems thought they had their first goal of the game, but the Holliston keeper closed the gap quickly and got her hand on the ball to prevent the goal. Ward turned away 9 Winchester shots and had only allowed opponents to beat her 9 times prior to the Championship game.
“She has a ton of confidence, and it translates to the rest of the team,” the Coach said. “She is the back line.”
The Sachems got on the board when Ally Murphy headed a Jordan Weinberg shot into the Holliston net, but just as fast as the Panther lead was cut, it was soon back at two. Maggie Fitzgerald, who coincidently had the third goal of the Sectional Championship game, answered Winchester’s score with a goal of her own; one that would eventually become the game winner. Winchester’s Whitney Krayer accounted for the last goal of the game when she scored off an Anna Carazza pass.
“We knew that we had to keep the pressure on them,” Chadsey said. “That’s what got us over the top, we couldn’t just sit back.”
Holliston concluded its historical season finishing 19-0-3 with another Sectional Title and its first State Championship – a year to be remembered for sure.